Bookrest



Nov. 12, 1968 M. L. CRISWELL. 3,410,516

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United States Patent O 3,410,516 BOGKREST Mildred L. Criswell, i735 33rd Place SE., Washington, D.C. 20020 Filed July 29, 1966, Ser. No. 568,810 Claims. (Cl. 248-459) ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE The bookrest is provided by a single elongated piece of pliable sheet material with lateral crease lines or portions of -at stiff sheet material hinged by tapes and can be laid flat for shipping or the like and readily folded providing an upright support for a 4book at a proper angle for reading.

Description The present invention is concerned with a bookrest,

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a rest for supporting a book thereon in a position extending upwardly on an angle from the horizontal for holding the book at the correct angle for reading the same for aiding the readers vision in this respect learving the viewers hands free for other work and which bookrest can be quickly and economically produced in considerable numbers.

A further important object of the invention is to provide a bookrest which can be produced from a single piece of flat material, can be folded relatively flat for confvenience in handling, storing, mailing, shipping and the like and yet can be folded into its form for use by unskilled persons and without requiring any tools.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a lbookrest that can be used in displaying a book and also as an aid to teaching children to read.

Further objects of the invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in the following description of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a perspective view of the present bookrest arranged for use;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 2 2 of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the bookrest showing the saime extending in a at position.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings wherein like and corresponding parts are indicated by the same reference characters, numeral 1 indicates the upper base portion, 2 a crease line, 3 a front portion, 4 a stop portion, 6 is a crease line, 7 a support portion having a medial crease line 5, 8 is a crease line, 9 is a front portion, 10 is a crease line, 11 is a back portion, 12 a crease line, 13 is the lower base portion, and 14 is a crease line between stop portion 4 and support portion 7.

For reinforcing or connecting purposes tape 2a extends along crease line -2 and is affixed to upper base portion 1 and front portion 3, tape 6a extends along crease line 6 and is aflixed to front portion 3 and stop portion 4, tape a extends along crease line 10 and is aixed to front portion 9 and back portion 11 and tape 15 is afxed to back portion 11 and lower Ibase portion 13. Said tapes are axed to the front yface of the bookrest by any suitable adhesive.

A connector 17 is cut at its sides and top from front portion 9, but remains integral therewith at its bottom along crease line 18 leaving a rectangular opening 16 in front portion `9 extending lengthwise towards support portion 7 and back portion 11. A tape 19 extends across crease line 18 and is aiixed by suitable adhesive to front portion 9 and connector 17. When said connector is pivice oted along crease line 18 it leaves opening 16 -with extended sides 20, 21 and top side 20 defining said opening.

Connector -17 also has an opening 17a in its free end capable of receiving tongue 24 provided in back portion 11 by the se-micircular opening 23 therein.

A tape 25 extends along crease line 8 and is axed to support portion 7 and front portion 9 while tape 26 extends along crease line 14 and is aiixe'd to stop portion 4 and support portion 7. Tapes 25 and 26 are affixed to the back face of the bookrest by suitable adhesive.

The support is formed of one piece of elongated pliable but somewhat stiff, sheet imaterial such as for example cardboard, leatherette, plastic coated paper board, thin metal such as sheet aluminium or steel or other material which can -be readily bent, but which portions thereof will retain their flat rectangular conguration even when supporting a load thereon.

It is to be appreciated however that in lieu of the aforementioned crease lines each of said portions of the support can be separate pieces pivotajbly joined by said tapes.

In the use of the present base, front portion 3 is 'bent at an acute angle along crease line 2 relative to base portion 1, stop portion 4 is bent to a position substantially normal to base portion 1, support portion 7 is superimposed on base portion 1 and is rbent at crease line 5 proyiding diverging halves thereof, front portion 9 is -bent along crease line 8 to diverge Ifrom support portion 7, back portion 11 is bent along crease line 10 to diverge from front portion 9, lower base portion 13 is bent along crease line 12 to diverge from back portion 11 and is positioned beneath upper bottom portion 1 all as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

However, lower base portion 13 can be placed superimposed on upper base portion 1 if desired.

Thereafter connector 17 is ibent along crease line 18 and its free end inserted through opening 23 and tongue 24 inserted through opening 17a.

The lower one of base portions 1 or 13 is placed on a level horizontal supporting surface such as a table, desk top or the like and a book A placed against front por tion r9, at its lower edge on support portion 7 and against stop portion so that the book will Ibe supported on an upward slant and can be readily viewed.

By disengaging tongue 24 from opening 17a connector 17 can fbe pivoted back into opening 16,'stop portion 4 and support portion 7 are then extended somewhat in line 'with lfront portion 9, base portion 1v and front portion 3 are extended somewhat in line and pivoted along crease line 2 against the back of portions 4, 7 and 9 and lower base portion 13 is extended in line with back portion 11 and pivoted along crease line 10 against said upper `base portion 1 and front portion 3 providing a relatiye flat object which requires a minimum of space for shipping, storing and the like.

However, the support can, when desired, be rearranged by bending along said crease lines or tapes for use as described hereinibefore quickly and easily or for storage again as often as necessary.

The present bookrest is capable of modication and such ychanges thereto as come within the scope of the appended claims is deemed to -be a part of the present invention.

I claim:

1. A bookrest comprising a base portion, a front portion pivotably connected to and extending on an acute angle over said base portion, a stop portion pivotably connected to said front portion and extending normal to and above said base portion, a support portion pivotably connected to and and extending normal to said stop portion and superimposed upon and extending across said base portion, a front portion pivotably connected to and diverging from said support portion, a back portion pivotably connected to and diverging from said front portion, said back portion having an opening with a tongue therein, a connector pivotably connected to said front portion extending in said opening and having an opening detachably receiving said tongue therein and said bookrest being one elongated piece of pliable sheet material and said pivotal connections of the portions are crease lines extending laterally of said sheet material.

2. A bookrest as claimed in claim 1 wherein tapes are aixed to said sheet material each along one of said crease lines.

3. A bookrest comprising a base portion, a front portion pivotably connected to and extending on an acute angle over said base portion, a stop portion pivotably connected to said front portion and extending normal to above said base portion, a support portion pivotably connected to and extending normal to said stop portion and superimposed upon and extending across said base portion, a front portion pivotably connected to and diverging from said support portion, a back portion pivotably connected to and diverging from said front portion, said back portion having an opening with a tongue therein, a connector pivotably connected to said front portion extending in said opening and having an opening detachably receiving said tongue therein, each of said portions being a separate piece of rectangular sheet material and said pivotal connections are provided by tapes aflixed to each pair of adjoining portions.

4. A bookrest as claimed in claim 1 wherein said front portion extends upwardly on an angle from said base por- CII tion for supporting a book on the correct angle for reading the same.

5. A bookrest comprising a base portion, a front portion, pivotably connected to and extending on an acute angle over said base portion, a stop portion pivotably connected to said front portion and extending normal to and above said base portion, a support portion pivotably connected to and extending normal to said stop portion and superimposed upon and extending across said base portion, a front portion pivotably connected to and diverging from said support portion, a back portion pivotably connected to and diverging from said iront portion, a second base portion pivotably connected to said back portion and extending back along said rst base portion towards said front portion, said back portion having an opening with a tongue therein, a connector pivotably connected to said front portion extending in said opening and having an opening detachably receiving said tongue therein, and each of said portions being of a flat stiff sheet material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,012,551 8/1935 Steen 248-463 X 2,165,255 7/1939 Hamilton 248-459 X 2,373,617 4/1945 Tiryakian 248-463 X 2,467,190 4/1949 Cowles 248-465 2,490,356 12/1949 Hummel 248-463 2,726,835 12/1955 Hummel 248-459 CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Primary Examiner. 

